


Five Places Lauren didn't hide

by wildforce71



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Lauren Shiba Can Kick Your Ass, Male-Female Friendship, Raised by Rangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildforce71/pseuds/wildforce71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lauren Shiba grew up in hiding. She probably wasn't hiding in these places. Shame, really...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lauren IN MARINER BAY

**Author's Note:**

> I love my betas dearly; without them, I would be nothing.

Ryan had been on the base for three days before he met Lauren.

It was an accident, even then. The team had been very welcoming, and his father and Ms Fairweather equally so; but the others, the workers and officers, the staff, kept giving him looks and leaving wide berths when they passed him. Conversations stopped and rooms emptied when he entered.

It didn't surprise him, but it was tiring pretending he didn't care, keeping up appearances in front of the others. On the third day, he murmured some excuse and wandered off, looking for a corner for a few moments alone. He had a vague impression of Carter holding Dana back from following him, and he made a mental note to thank him later on. 

There was a staircase, in a distnat corner of the base, winding around an elevator shaft, pressed against a wall. Portholes in the wall meant that sounds echoed up and down, giving notice of anyone coming.

Ryan climbed it soundlessly, already letting his mind drift. From the looks of things, few people came here, and he'd hear anyone coming long before they got here.

He rounded the final corner and found a girl sitting on the top flight of steps.

She couldn't have been more than nine, and it surprised him. Lightspeed was, in essence, a military base. He hadn't thought there'd be children here.

She glanced up from the book in her lap, studying him. "Yes? Who're you?"

"Who are you?" he returned, one hand already drifting to his morpher.

Her eyes followed the movement and she relaxed. "Ryan."

"That's me," he agreed, still tense. "And you are?"

"Lauren Sh - Lauren."

"Lauren," he echoed.

She set her book aside, sitting up straighter. "Your father's my guardian."

"He must've forgotten to mention that."

"Must have," she agreed.

Ryan tapped his morpher, keeping his eyes on her. "Carter?"

"Yeah," Carter answered. "What's wrong?"

"Who's Lauren?"

There was a pause before Carter said "Where are you?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, leaning forward. "We're at the top of the south west staircase, Carter. Captain Mitchell hasn't told Ryan about me."

"It's been busy," Carter said defensively. "She's the Captain's ward, Ryan."

"Thanks," he said absently, lowering his morpher. "Can I sit?"

"It's a free base, more or less." She shifted slightly to one side, but he settled a step or two below her.

"Surprises me that my father would keep you here," he said after a minute. "There must be safer places."

"Special case," she said vaguely. Catching his look, she added, "You're fighting demons, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

"I'll be fighting something else, one day, unless they find me first. This is a good place for me to hide. Water disrupts their powers, they can't find me here."

"So you're hiding on an unused staircase, reading..." He tilted the book towards himself. "Something in Japanese," he finished with a frown.

"I'm supposed to stay out of the way of Ranger stuff," she told him. "And that's all that goes on around here now. I do fight training with the trainers in the gym, I have a tutor, and apart from that I keep away."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is what it is. It'll be over eventually, anyway."

"You think so?"

"Rangers always win in the end," she said firmly.

Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a while; Lauren picked her book back up, and Ryan leaned his head against the wall and relaxed for the first time in a long time. Occasionally faint voices echoed up the stairwell, and Lauren turned pages but didn't speak. It was the most peaceful he'd felt since leaving the demons.

Eventually Lauren shifted, laying the book aside. "Ryan."

"Yes." His voice was thick with tiredness and he cleared his throat, forcing himself to sit upright.

"It's getting late. The others will be looking for you."

"Yeah." He stretched, surprised at how drowsy he was. "Are you coming?"

"No."

"It's dinner time," he pointed out.

"I eat later." She was concentrating fiercely on her book, avoiding his eyes.

"Why? Are you supposed to avoid the Rangers as well?"

"No," she said hesitantly.

"Then come on." Lauren shook her head, and Ryan added, "It'll be nice to spend time with someone who doesn't think I'm going to curse them for knocking over the salt."

"Most of the staff think I'm pretty weird too," she warned him.

"This is Lightspeed. Find me one normal person in this whole base."

"Yeah. I guess." She studied him for a moment. "Do you hate it here?"

"Do I what?"

"Hate it here," she repeated. "It can't be anything like what you're used to."

"It's not," he agreed. "I don't hate it. It's...I'm getting used to it. But I'm with my sister and my father. That makes up for everything."

"Yeah," Lauren said distantly. "I suppose it would."

He watched as she carefully closed her book, tucking it under one arm. "Do you hate it here?"

"I hate the water," she said honestly. "It's keeping me safe, but...my power, what will make me a Ranger, is based in fire. Being down here all the time is like drowning, bit by bit."

"Did you tell my father?"

"Yes. He gets me upworld when he can. It's harder now, but he does his best." She stood, watching him. "But I like the people."

"Even the ones who think you're weird?"

"Especially the ones who think I'm weird. It's fun to freak them out." She grinned, looking her age for the first time.

Ryan smiled. "You'll have to show me that."

"I will," she agreed easily, leading the way down the stairs.

The Rangers were gathered in the mess, talking quietly. Joel caught sight of them first, leaning forward to murmur to Dana, who twisted in her seat to watch them.

By the time they reached the Ranger's table Carter had pulled over another chair and the others had shuffled plates and glasses to make room for Lauren. Carter greeted her with a grin and immediately engaged Kelsey in a discussion about sport, occasionally asking Lauren's opinion. Joel joined in loudly, covering Dana as she leaned into Ryan. "You ok?' she murmured.

"Yeah." He watched as Lauren laughed, charmed by something Carter was saying. "Yeah, I think I am."


	2. Lauren IN REEFSIDE

"He's a dinosaur guy! Those were dinosaurs! - sort of."

Conner kind of wished he'd argued harder. Being menaced by a thirteen year old girl with a wooden stick would do that to you, he decided, nursing a bruised elbow.

"I'll ask once more," she declared. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you, we're looking for Dr Oliver," Conner told her. He tried to shuffle to one side, so they could surround her, but Ethan didn't seem to understand; he just shuffled with Conner, so they were performing an awkward circle around the kid.

"He isn't here."

"His car's outside."

She scowled. "Since when does looking for someone mean breaking in anyway?"

"We knocked?" Ethan offered.

"Yes, I heard. You gave him about half a second to answer and then broke in. I was here and I didn't have time to do anything."

"Who are you, anyway?" Conner asked, trying to edge in the other direction. Ethan didn't move this time and he almost fell over him.

"I live here. What do you want him for?"

Conner stayed quiet, hoping Ethan would answer. Ethan stayed quiet, probably hoping Conner would answer. Conner stepped on Ethan's toe.

"Ow!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Last chance, and then I call the police. What do you want Dr Oliver for?"

"We saw someone get kidnapped by dinosaurs," Conner blurted.

"Hey, is that a katana?" Ethan said over him. "Very cool."

She glanced down at it. "It's a shinai. A practise sword." Ethan relaxed, and she added sharply, "Doesn't mean I can't hurt you with it. What's he saying about dinosaurs?"

"Conner? Nothing. Got hit in the head a few too many times. Soccer, you know." Ethan caught Conner's arm, trying to usher him out; Conner stood firm, and Ethan scowled, arms briefly flaring blue as his power kicked in.

"Ow," Conner hissed, turning as best he could to keep himself between Ethan and the girl. She'd lowered her weapon and was watching them with a frown. "Just tell him we dropped in. We're leaving, see? Come on, Ethan."

"Wait." She propped her sword neatly against the back of the couch, studying them. "I'll call him. Wait out on the porch. He's probably nearly back anyway."

Conner nodded briefly, following Ethan out onto the porch. They'd been lingering for a while when Dr Oliver came out of the house.

"How'd you do that?" Ethan demanded.

Dr Oliver frowned briefly. "Back door. What are you doing here?"

"Kira got kidnapped by these dinosaur things," Conner told him.

"Dinosaur things," he repeated disbelievingly.

"We saw it," Ethan insisted.

"I'm sure you saw something," Dr Oliver agreed. Face hardening, he added, "Is there anything else you want to tell me? Anything you may have picked up on our field trip and not told me about?"

The girl was watching from the door. Conner looked away from her, shaking his head. "Nothing. What are we going to do about Kira?"

"I'll take care of it. You boys go back to whatever you'd normally be doing right now."

"What?" Ethan protested.

"Leave it to me," Dr Oliver said dismissively. "It's not something for you to worry about."

"She was snatched right in front of us!"

"Don't worry about it," he repeated. "Go on home." Glancing over his shoulder, he added, "Lauren, go inside."

"You see it?" she asked, edging closer.

"Go inside," he said again; she took a step back and he turned back to the boys. "One last chance. Because Lauren's usually a good judge of character. Did you find anything on the field trip?"

"How is this relevant?" Conner protested. Ethan glanced sidewards at him before producing the blue and yellow gems.

Dr Oliver nodded, unsurprised, before looking at Conner. Sighing, he held up the red gem.

"Have they bonded with you?" Lauren asked. Dr Oliver glanced at her, but he didn't bother trying to send her away again.

"Have they what?" Conner asked with a frown.

"Have you noticed any changes since you picked them up," Dr Oliver explained. Conner zipped down to the car, waited long enough to make sure they'd seen him and then zipped back. "That answers that," Dr Oliver muttered. "Right. You two, come with me. Let's find Kira. Stay inside, Lauren."

"Yessir," she agreed, backing towards the front door.

"Hey," Conner called after her. "Thanks." He still wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but somehow she'd made Dr Oliver listen to them, that much was clear.

"Don't thank me yet."

"Lauren," Dr Oliver said, and there was clear warning in his tone. She flinched, slipping into the house, and they all heard the locks being thrown.

Dr Oliver nodded, turning to head for his car. "Come on. I'll tell you what I can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have ideas about where else Lauren might have hidden, sing out. There may be a Five More Places...in the future.


	3. Lauren IN BRIARWOOD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm hoping to flesh this one into a whole fic. Thus, this is actually from the middle, just after the 'Vida is a vampire' arc. To explain a little joke; the first time Nick met Lauren, he was running out of the woods in episode two, and when asked who he was he answered "Leaving."

Something was wrong, and Nick couldn't put his finger on it.

The party to celebrate Vida's return had been going on for a while; Vida had carefully apologised to everyone before Xander started music going. Udonna was clearly not too impressed with his choice, but Clare was enjoying it, dancing with Chip.

"What's wrong?" Maddie asked, sitting next to him and offering him a glass.

"Don't know. Something's bugging me, but I can't grasp it."

"Not Koragg?"

"No." He smiled faintly at the thought that their enemy was now the first thing any of them thought of when he felt off. "Definitely not Koragg; I know when it's him. I don't know what it _is_ , though."

"Well, do you think something's wrong? Should we be worried?"

Xander, walking past them, about faced and came back. "What are we worried about?"

"We're not worried," Nick said irritably.

"Something's wrong," Maddie said at the same time.

"What kind of something?" Xander asked.

Nick shook his head. "Not anything to worry about. I'll figure it out." Xander spread his hands questioningly and Nick shrugged. "I'm missing something. Something right in front of me that I can't see. I'll get it, don't worry."

"Not worried," Xander assured him. Glancing over his shoulder, he added, "You want to take off? We'll cover for you."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Take your bike out," Maddie suggested. "That always helps you think."

"Maybe I will," he agreed distantly, heading for the door.

He was halfway across the clearing before he realised what was bothering him. He almost turned to go back in, but some instinct stopped him, and instead he headed for Phineas' camp.

The Troblin wasn't there, but Lauren was, huddled on a fallen tree. Nick shook his head with a sigh; she was as miserable a picture as he'd ever seen. He wondered vaguely if she was doing it on purpose; but she shot to her feet as he approached, scrubbing at her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing _here_? Something wrong?"

"No." She was holding his gaze, though, and he could see the lie in her eyes.

"I think something's wrong," he said gently, moving to sit on the log. She sat, warily, keeping a distance between them. "Is it something I can help with?"

"No." He could see the moment she decided to tell him; she seemed to deflate, curling in on herself. "It's stupid. Don't...go back to the party, Leaving. I'm fine."

"Not stupid if you're upset about it."

"It is stupid."

"Try me."

It took her a while. Nick waited patiently while she thought about it. Finally she blurted out "They're not supposed to come to our homes."

"Who's not?"

Lauren shrugged, eyes on her hands. One wrist was still red and swollen where Vida had thrown her aside during her escape. "The bad guys."

"You mean Vida?"

"Her too. Our homes are meant to be safe. It's not right that they can walk in whenever they like."

Nick nodded slowly. "I think she could only get in because she's a Ranger. We'll pay closer attention in future; they won't get us that way again."

"Told you it was stupid," Lauren muttered.

"It's not stupid. You should feel safe in your home."

"Even when it's not really my home?"

"Isn't it?" She didn't answer, kicking at the log, and he smiled faintly. "You'll have to tell me sometime."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's dangerous."

"I'll risk it. When you're ready."

They sat in silence for a long time, and he was starting to idly wonder where Phineas was and how soon they'd be interrupted when Lauren blurted "They came to my house. To attack. That's why I'm here, with Udonna. My home burned."

"Not safe at home," he murmured, remembering her words of weeks ago. "Who attacked?"

She shook her head. "I can't, Nick, I really can't."

"Ok," he agreed quickly. "Hey, you used my name."

"Slip of the tongue," she muttered, rubbing at her cheeks.

Clare rounded a tree, blinking in surprise at them. "Lauren! We thought you were upstairs. Udonna's worried about you. What's wrong?" she added, voice softening as she got close enough to see her.

"Nothing's wrong," Lauren said quickly, glancing at Nick.

He had half a second to make his decision, and later he realised that he'd made it because she was part of his team now. "Lauren's just a bit upset that evil Vida made it to Rootcore. Because of her home before."

"Nick!" Lauren protested.

Clare softened the rest of the way, though. "Lauren, I'm sorry, we never even thought about that. It only worked because Vida's a Ranger. I promise, it won't happen again."

"I'm fine," Lauren insisted, twisting away from the hand Clare tried to rest on her shoulder. "I'll go back, if Udonna's looking for me."

"Lauren," Clare protested, but the younger girl was gone.

"It won't happen again, will it?" Nick asked quietly.

"No one gets into Rootcore except the Mystic Warriors, Lauren and me. We had to twist the wards all kinds of ways to let her in. It definitely won't happen again."

He nodded. "Her home burned, Clare?"

"She told you that?" Clare squeaked.

"Is she not supposed to?"

"No - I mean, yes, she can if she wants, it's her story. But she hasn't, not at all."

"Well, I guess I should feel special," he muttered. "Let's get out of here before Phineas gets back. Keep an eye on her, ok?"

"I will."


	4. Lauren IN OCEAN BLUFF

Theo is the first to admit he's not very observant. Not when it comes to people, anyway. It takes three trips in and out of the kitchen during the twelve thirty six lunch rush before he realises the girl taking his orders isn't Fran.

In his defense, with her hair up and hat on they're not unalike, and he's expecting Fran. He's sure she was on today's rota.

He takes Casey from the dining room, leaving Lily to handle the customers, and goes back to the kitchen. The strange girl is rinsing plates, quickly and efficiently, loading them into the dishwasher.

"Hi," Casey says easily, bracing his arms on the counter. Theo hangs back, near the door, watching.

The girl glances briefly over her shoulder. "Hi. Jarrod, right?"

"What?" Casey straightens, tensing. "No."

"Oh." She turns, wiping her hands on a towel. "Is...I'm sorry. Theo, Lily and Jarrod, I thought."

"Jarrod's...not here." Theo shifts, but he won't contradict Casey. "I'm Casey."

"Lauren."

"Who are you, Lauren?"

"I'm RJ's niece."

"He hasn't mentioned you."

"No, he wouldn't," she agrees.

Casey tilts his head towards the stairs. "RJ? Got a second?"

"Anything for my staff!" RJ calls back, but it's a minute longer before he comes down the stairs.

"Uncle RJ," Lauren says brightly, executing a perfect Pai Zhua bow.

He pauses a couple of steps from the bottom. "Niece Lauren. What's going on?"

Casey frowns. "You have a niece, RJ?"

"We're all family," RJ says vaguely. "Lauren?"

"It's your turn."

"Not a good time."

She glances at Casey and Theo. "Because they're Rangers?"

"Hey," Theo protests. RJ waves in what's probably meant to be a reassuring way.

"My father was a Ranger," Lauren says, directly to Casey. "Years ago, but still a Ranger. I've been living with Pai Zhua masters, but..." she turns to RJ. "Dai Shi's out. The Masters are in hiding. I can't go home yet."

RJ considers her for a long moment, unusually solemn. "It isn't safe here. Dai Shi knows where we are."

"Safer here than at home. And maybe I can help. I can fight, you know that."

"You can't fight with us," Theo says immediately.

"Not fight, spar."

Lily comes in, takes in the situation and slots herself in at Casey's shoulder without asking any questions.

RJ comes down the last couple of steps. "Can you make pizza?" he asks seriously.

Lauren smiles. "Yes." Glancing at Theo, she adds, "There weren't any complaints, right?"

"No complaints," he agrees.

RJ turns to Casey. "I can probably find somewhere else for her," he says quietly.

"Why are you hiding?" Casey asks her.

Lauren swallows. "My father didn't destroy our enemy," she says clearly. "He slowed him down, but he'll be back. I'm training to defeat him, but he has followers here and if he knows I'm alive..." She trails off.

Casey glances at RJ, who nods very slightly. "Well, we can always do with another worker," he says lightly. "We do have to run out on occasion, after all." Lauren smiles, relieved, and he adds, "That's Theo and Lily. And Fran works here too, but she's not in today."

"I guessed there was a Fran, that's what Theo called me," Lauren agrees, smiling innocently when Theo glares at her.

Something crashes in the dining room, and Lily grimaces. "Nice to meet you, Lauren," she says quickly. "Theo, I think we're needed in the dining room." She drags him out, overriding his objections.

Casey turns back to Lauren. "Is anyone looking for you?"

Lauren shakes her head quickly. "Only a couple of people even know I'm alive, and none of them will look for me here. Your team's safe. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't believe that."

"Good." Casey glances at RJ. "Welcome aboard, Lauren."

"Thanks."

Theo shouts an order through the oven; Casey grimaces, turning to the counter to start work. Lauren passes him a ball of dough, grinning, and turns to start pulling ingredients from the fridge.

"Harmony is a beautiful thing to see," RJ says solemnly, watching them work together. Casey laughs, working easily away; Lauren fits around him, passing him ingredients as he needs them and clearing away utensils as he finishes.

RJ watches them work together for a moment before nodding in satisfaction and turning to head back upstairs.


	5. Lauren IN SPACE

TJ never knew what to expect when Zhane came to visit.

Karone was happily settled on Miranoi. Andros was travelling the galaxy in the Megaship Mark 2, occasionally on missions for people but mostly, TJ thought, because he didn't want to stop travelling. Sometimes one or another of the team joined him for a while. Zhane was even less settled, since he didn't use the Megaship as a base; sometimes he used the Mega Winger, but more often he hitched or bargained or wheedled his way onto ships, travelling wherever they were going with a grin. Nearly fifteen years after their team disbanded he was still wandering; team consensus was he'd never stop, not if he could help it.

He didn't come to Earth often, every couple of years usually, and so far no two visits had been alike. Sometimes he was loud and energetic; those visits tended to be short and end in a lot of paperwork and public apologies for whichever teammate he'd foisted himself on. Sometimes he was quiet, and thoughtful; those visits tended to be longer, and usually ended in a team get-together at some point. Occasionally he was nursing injuries he refused to discuss, and those visits usally ended with Karone or Andros coming to fetch him.

On this particular visit he charmed his way past TJ's secretary before she could do anything about it, throwing himself dramatically onto the couch in TJ's office.

"Hi," TJ said mildly, not looking up from his work.

"Hi." Zhane bounced off the couch again and came to lean over his shoulder, studying the paperwork. "Looks boring. Want to come with me?"

"Where would we be going?" TJ started working faster. He knew Zhane. That offer wasn't an offer so much as an ultimatum.

"I have a job to do, and I thought you might like to come along." He swiped TJ's half full cup of coffee, taking a swig.

TJ waited patiently, grinning when Zhane gave up and made a face at the taste. "What kind of job? Something dangerous?"

"No, I ask Andros along on the dangerous ones."

"Thanks, Zhane, you know how to make a guy feel wanted. What kind of job?"

"Escort. Kid on Triforia needs to get to Eltare. I borrowed the Megaship. Come on, it won't be hard. It won't even take long. You'll be back here tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Does Andros know you've borrowed the ship?"

" 'Course. He's visiting someone on Inquiris."

"And you didn't go?"

"I hate Inquiris."

"Why?"

Zhane glared at him. TJ sighed, looking at the pile of paperwork. "Give me five minutes."

"I'm in a good mood. Have seven." Zhane grinned, threw himself onto the couch again and promptly fell asleep.

TJ finished his work in six and called Carlos to get the phone tree going. If he didn't come back, at least someone would know what was happening.

He was just finishing giving his PA instructions when Zhane stirred, sitting up. "Ready?"

"I don't have a communicator," TJ pointed out.

Zhane fished an old one from a pocket, tossing it over to him. "DECA's already tuned in. Let's go."

It was good to be back on the Megaship. Zhane let TJ take them out, watching from Ashley's old station as TJ got them underway. He took a few minutes to enjoy being back in space before turning to Zhane.

"So what's the real story?"

"Told you. Kid on Triforia -"

"Needs to get to Eltare, I know. You brought a warship and a Ranger, Zhane. What's going on?"

Zhane made a face at him. "I don't know the whole story," he warned him. "She's a Ranger in Training, and she's hiding from whoever she's supposed to be fighting. She ended up in Rocky's care somehow, something about her mentor getting sick -"

"She's human?" TJ said in surprise, immediately correcting himself to "From Earth?"

"Yeah. Rocky's something to do with kids in trouble, right?"

"Social worker," TJ agreed absently.

"Right, so he figured out who she is, that she's going to be a Ranger, and he got in touch with Tommy Oliver, to see what they could do, and Tommy got Andros to get hold of Dimitria, and she arranged fostering on different planets, so Lauren can learn as much as possible before she goes back. Tommy's keeping an eye out for her villains, so we'll know if anything happens there. But he insists that Rangers are always on hand whenever she's moving, so she can't just jump a charter or anything. Hence, Megaship, and you."

"I'm not active," TJ pointed out.

"You could be," Zhane said easily. "The morpher's still yours if you want it. You know that."

"Yeah," TJ murmured. "Who's on Eltare?"

"I don't know the Eltaren team names, but they're expecting us. Full team, active but no villain. She's leaving Triforia's Gold Ranger, and she was on Aquitar before that." 

"How long's she been hiding?" TJ asked.

Zhane glanced at his board as something beeped. "Since we defeated Dark Spectre, give or take. We're ready to come out of hyperspace."

Pyramidus broadcast a welcome - the Gold Ranger was female now, TJ noted absently - and the Megaship landed. Zhane politely refused the offered feast, tour of the city, and overnight stay, and TJ went down to the hatch to let Lauren in.

He held onto his indignation until she was settling into her cabin and he was back on the bridge. "She's a kid!" he hissed.

Zhane glanced up. "Sorry?"

"She's a kid! I thought you meant she was an adult!"

"Oh. No. I think she was about seven or eight when we defeated Dark Spectre, and she came to Rocky's attention a couple of years after that."

"She's been gone from Earth that long?"

"Yep." Zhane looked back at the console. "You want to take us out?"

"No I don't want to take us out! I want..."

Zhane smiled faintly when he trailed off. "Yeah. I know. I had her halfway back to Earth the first time we met."

TJ considered him for a moment before sinking into Cassie's seat. "What changed your mind?"

"She doesn't want to go back. Not until she's learned what she needs, or her villain returns. Her power's hereditary, she can't hand it off."

"Does she want to?"

"No. She's a pretty committed kid."

"Plus I get to travel around in space ships," Lauren said from behind them.

TJ turned. "Sorry, I shouldn't be talking behind your back."

"It's all right." She circled the consoles, grinning at Zhane as she passed him, and halted in front of the screen. "I miss home, sometimes. But it won't be much longer. I'm almost ready."

"It's a long time to be gone," TJ said softly.

"Yes." She didn't turn, still watching the screen. "But it's been good, too." She came back to lean against the console beside Zhane. "Who else gets to see space this close up? I'll miss it, I think, when I go home."

"Feel free to call me when you're bored," Zhane said cheerfully. "I'll steal Andros' ship for you any time you like. Bring your team, celebrate your win."

"I'll remember. Thank you. How long until we reach Eltare?"

"A while yet. Time to get some rest, if you like. You remember how to work the Synthatron?"

"Yes. Thank you." She smiled at TJ, slipping back out.

"They start Rangers young nowadays," TJ noted, tapping idly at the console for something to do.

"Yeah, what's it like not being a Ranger until you're seventeen? I was already retired by then."

"Retired? Gimme a break. As if you're ever going to retire. You'll be going around in uniform when you're eighty, mate."

"Not if you crash the Megaship I won't. Where'd you learn to steer?"


End file.
